Infections in athletically active patients; viral infections

In principle, a reasonable amount of athletic activity activates, trains and strengthens our immune system. Physical exercise improves the performance of muscles, the cardiovascular system and the immune system. High intensity or high impact training (eg in a training camp) result in physical stress that together with the emotional stress of having to reconcile your job and family with your training can overtax your immune system. The main player here is the body’s own stress hormone, cortisol, which has an immunosuppressive action. Medicine makes therapeutic use of this property and treats autoimmune disorders with cortisol, eg rheumatism, which is a condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the body’s healthy tissue.

For athletes, the best protection against infections is a sensible, specific training at well- measured amounts, eg training methods using heart rate measurements to stay within the optimum impact range.

Other sensible measures include:

• adequate resting periods after training and competitions,
• no extreme physical exertion during training camps or long weekends
• appropriate diet;
• appropriate clothing and optimal equipment
• adequate amounts of sleep, elimination of additional stress factors
• use of supplements (zinc: may strengthen and stabilise the immune system;
• Echinacea: herbal substance that acts as a stimulant on the immune system).
• Short-term measures to toughen up resistance against diseases challenge and stimulate the immune system.
  

The differences in temperature involved in outdoor endurance sports are an effective immune system stimulant. Outdoor exercise plus sun and wind are a natural way of toughening up. Sauna visits (once or twice per week) have also proven effective, as have contrast showers (cold – hot – cold ... cold water...).. In winter, well-measured exposure to ultraviolet light/solarium has a stimulating and supporting effect on our immune system.

At the beginning, a cold usually makes itself felt with slight shivers, shortly to be followed by a sore throat, runny nose, muscle and joint pain. Immediate action is of the essence now.

Step 1 is ceasing all exercise and thus physical strain. Intense or long-term physical strain briefly weakening the immune system must be avoided in particular. Physical exercise is absolutely contraindicated when your body temperature is elevated. Exercising while having a fever carries the risk of worsening your health and causing myocarditis.

Avoid getting cold. Cold feet, for example, can briefly weaken the immune system. We have obtained excellent results treating athletes with various tea preparations. They are available ready-made at the pharmacy, or you can ask your physician for advice on a tea mixture tailor-made for you. Take extra vitamins. Especially vitamin C (approx. 1 g/day) combined with zinc (lozenges) has proven effective in speeding up recovery.

Steambaths with chamomile, peppermint or eucalyptus oil. Rest, bed rest. In otherwise healthy patients, temperatures above 39.5 °C (103.1 °F) need not be lowered by medical intervention, because the body uses elevated temperatures to fight the germs.

See your doctor in time: your physician will decide whether you require antibiotic treatment. If a virus infection is diagnosed, antibiotic treatment is generally not indicated, because antibiotics are ineffective against viruses. Where indicated though, antibiotic treatment should specifically target the infective germ and be taken for an adequate period of time.
Within certain limitations, appropriately experienced physicians may successfully use natural therapies with very few side effects such as acupuncture or homoeopathy in order to strengthen the immune system, reduce inflammations and other infections. These procedures may be used either as a stand-alone therapy or in combination with other therapies.